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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Recently I shared our Kool-Aid Ice Play using frozen Kool-aid and paper towels to create some messy art and play. Soon after that, my son asked to play with Kool-aid ice again. I didn't have any cubes prepped so I took what we had and changed it up a bit.

I placed a sheet of construction paper onto a cookie sheet. My son loves orange so he always chooses that color. Then we carefully sprinkled several colors of Kool-aid over the paper. I let Michael help me with this as it's a good way to teach control.

Then I gave him an ice cube. He moved it around the page leaving wet and colorful trails as he did.

But Kool-aid painting isn't just about what's on the paper. It's the whole sensory experience! He had to check out what was on the ice...

then of course he had to taste it...

and stick his fingers into the powder to taste that too.

Once everything was touched and tasted, he was done. For my son, as it is with many kids, especially boys, art is about the experience rather then the product (process art). Michael could care less about what he created; for him it was all about playing and tasting ice and Kool-aid.

Monday, July 23, 2012

We know how much fun Kool-Aid can be when it comes to art. Bloggers have shared everything from painting to tie dying with the stuff. We've even used it to create Art in the Rain. But in this summer heat why not freeze the Kool-Aid for some cool, ice painting? Take it outdoors and enjoy the fun!

Set a bowl of frozen cubes out for the children to explore. Instead of paper, I gave them paper towels for creating their works of art. They absorb more then paper, plus construction paper tends to shred when it's wet. You could also use coffee filters.

"It's cold!"

This is a great project for little ones on a warm day. Not only is it good sensory art, but this "paint" is safe for them to put in their mouths. If you're concerned about germs, give them each separate bowls and keep a close eye on them.

As the ice melts, it creates a unique blend of colors. Leave the paper towels to dry and you have a colorful work of art.

What You'll Need:

Several flavors of Kool-Aid (desired colors). You'll want to buy the cheap packets without sugar, not the canisters.

Water

Sugar (optional)

Ice cube tray or small dixi cups with popsicle sticks

Absorbant paper towels

To Create Kool-Aid Ice Paint:

Mix packets of Kool-Aid with water. You can add the amount suggested on the package but I went with less. Less water gives a more vibrant color.

You can add sugar (knowing the kids will eat it) but it may cause stickiness. I left the sugar out thinking they would taste the cubes and not want to eat them. I was wrong. Kids are not afraid of tart ice cubes!

Pour mixture into ice cube trays or small dixi cups. You can add a popsicle stick, creating a handle for the paint. My group of kids could have cared less.

Freeze

Once frozen, pop those suckers out of the tray and enjoy the messy fun!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

In case you haven't checked out this week's It's Playtime, I featured some ways to keep cool, including a yummy, healthy slushy from We-Made-That. Being pregnant, I see food (or drinks) and I want them...right away! Since it was a simple idea, with items I had in the fridge, I decided to make them. Here's how mine turned out with a slight variation on the recipe.

Start with fresh strawberries, or in my case, almost fresh. When I make smoothies and slushies I like to use the strawberries that are on their way out. You know the ones: soft spots, a bit mushy (not too much), the ones that nobody is going to eat because they look yucky, but really, they are just fine, especially for slushies!

I have one of those super duper blenders so I threw in the strawberries with ice and blended until it was the consistency I wanted. Since it was a bit thick (more like a smoothie) I added about 1/4 cup of water, maybe a bit more, to thin it a tad.

Instead of sugar, I added honey. This I do by taste rather then measurement. Do you like sweet or tart? It's really up to you. After adding the honey, I blended it some more to mix. Just watch what you are doing, you don't want to over-blend or you'll just have a cold drink rather then an icy one.

My son was very happy with his drink (he doesn't like his picture being taken; this is hard when you are blogging something you want people to try!). I gave him the options of a spoon or a straw. He chose spoon. I used a thick boba straw to drink mine. It was fresh, healthy, and the perfect cool drink for a hot day.

What you will need:

Strawberries or any other fruit you might enjoy (lemons are delicious but you will need sugar instead of honey)

Ice

Honey

A bit of water

Tips & Tricks:

If you use frozen fruit, you can use less ice

Instead of water, add a bit of real fruit juice for a different flavor. Try apple or OJ. If you do this, cut back on the amount of honey you add to your drink.

If you don't have a high powered blender, try pureeing the fruit first (with the honey and water or juice), set aside, and throw in the ice to crush. Once it's broken up, add the fruit puree and blend well.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

It's been a long while since I've posted something other then It's Playtime. It's not that we haven't done anything, but between preschool, being pregnant, and the other things that life tends to throw at me, I've been a bit absent. So I'm going to try and go back to some of our favorite activities over the past couple of months and blog about them. Then, hopefully, I can start working on some newer ideas.

Last month (June) we had our monthly Mommy & Me Book Club at the house. It seems to be a popular activity with my regular moms which pleases me. The theme in June was The Ocean. Here are the activities I made available.

I made some Sand Playdough inspired by Timeless Adventures. I provided some shells and floral stones (both purchased at the dollar store) along with some ocean characters. The kids enjoyed creating different scenes and and experiencing the variety of textures.

We also created Octopuses from T.P. tubes like those found at Mommy with Selective Memory. All you do is cut 8 strips, leaving room at the top for the "head". I'm running low on paint, plus I have a lot of little guys, so we used markers to decorate the tubes. Then the kids glued on google eyes.

For snack I used the recipe for Cinnamon Snowflakes I found on Come Together Kids but made a slight variation. I used a fish cookie cutter create little tortilla fish. Then I followed the directions on the original recipe, creating crispy, yummy, cinnamon fish. These went fast!

And what's a book club without books?! We all came together and read:

Would you like to start a Mommy & Me Book Club with your friends? Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

I know some of you are in the midst of winter, but here in Southern California, it's summer at it's finest. Not it's hottest yet, that's sometime between August and October (yes, October, usually around Halloween!), but still hot enough to avoid the outdoors after 10 a.m. Knowing I am not that only one attempting to beat the heat and keep my kids away from the T.V. I am dedicating this weeks It's Playtime to activities that will keep us cool while having fun.

My kids are always asking for Slurpees and slushies in the summer to keep them cool. Well now we can make our own Healthy Slushy thanks to We-Made-That.com. She includes the recipe for a yummy strawberry or blueberry slushy.

Do you have any of those cool floor puzzle alphabet pieces? Take them outside and add water for some Alphabet Water Tracing fun! Thanks to Crafts-N-Things for children for sharing this repurposing idea with us.

Playdough to Plato shows us how to recycle and have a bit of water fun with their Junk Boats.

OK, one more! There were so many good posts this week it's hard to stop. Check out the Ice Balloons over on Sugarsnips for some cooling sensory fun.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

With TV's, video games, and computers, getting our kids outdoors sometimes takes a little persuasion. It's not enough to kick them out of the house and tell them not to come back until it's dark. Often, kids need an activity to get their creative outdoor juices started. This week on It's Playtime I'm featuring some fun and creative ways to inspire imaginative play outdoors.

A little yarn can go a long way! Sense of Wonder shared their Yarn Day and how providing a bit of string opened the door for hours of creative outdoor fun.

Love, Play, Learn got their school age kids outside with a simple Water Balloon Towel Toss. Perfect for a hot summer day; sometimes the most difficult days to get kids outside!

If you're like me, your kids have several miscellaneous socks with no partner laying around. Inspire Imagination Through Creation shared how to, not only turn those Odd Socks into simple bean bags, but some of the creative ways their kids played with them outdoors.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

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About Me

I am a mother of 3, a professional clown, and a former preschool teacher. I love teaching young children about art and exploring the creative process with them. I hope to be a published author someday of children's books, but for now would settle for a large following of my blog.
My children are Arie, Michael, and Isabella.